The 2027 MotoGP season will bring more action, more stakes, and two distinct starting grids at every round, as the FIM Grand Prix Commission and Dorna Sports unveil a major revamp to the weekend schedule. Alongside the all‑new technical regulations that will usher in the next generation of machinery, the sport is introducing a dedicated qualifying session for the Tissot Sprint — meaning Saturday’s short race and Sunday’s Grand Prix will now have completely separate grids.
Here’s exactly how the new‑look weekend will work, session by session.
Friday — Sprint Grid Decided on Day One
The action will shift significantly to the opening day of the weekend, with the Sprint race lineup locked in before the fans head home on Friday evening:
- Free Practice 1 — 45 minutes The familiar opening session remains unchanged, giving riders and teams their first proper run on track and setting the baseline for the weekend.
- Free Practice 2 — 30 minutes A shorter, untimed session replaces the previous second practice. This slot is purely for setup work and race preparation — no times from FP2 count toward any qualifying or grid process.
- Sprint Qualifying — 15 minutes The brand‑new headline session. Every rider takes part in this single 15‑minute shootout, and their times here exclusively determine the starting grid for the Saturday Tissot Sprint. No other session influences the Sprint lineup — pole position for the Sprint is won and lost right here.
This means Sprint qualifying is now a standalone, high‑stakes event in its own right — and riders will push to the absolute limit right from the first day of the meeting.
Saturday — Grand Prix Grid Takes Shape
Saturday’s schedule is built around qualifying for the main event, with the Sprint forming the perfect afternoon finale:
- Free Practice 3 — 20 minutes A brief, sharp session to fine‑tune race setup ahead of the crucial qualifying runs.
- Grand Prix Qualifying 1 — 15 minutes All riders compete together in the opening 15‑minute shootout. The top 12 fastest lap times advance directly to Q2, while positions 13 onwards are set here and remain fixed for the Grand Prix grid.
- Grand Prix Qualifying 2 — 15 minutes The fastest 12 riders from Q1 battle it out for the top six spots on the grid — and the all‑important front row. This is the session that decides who lines up where for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
- Tissot Sprint Race Lights out for the Sprint — using the grid established in Friday’s Sprint Qualifying. The Sprint and Grand Prix grids are now completely independent: a rider can start from pole in the Saturday race and line up further back on Sunday, or vice versa, creating fresh stories and opportunities across the whole weekend.
Sunday — Revised Timing, New Pre‑Race Procedure
Sunday’s running order has been reworked to give the smaller classes top billing and ensure the premier class is fully primed:
- Moto3 Grand Prix — first on track
- Moto2 Grand Prix — second on track
- MotoGP Pre‑Race Sighting Laps — replaces the traditional Warm Up. The pitlane will open for 10 minutes before the Grand Prix, allowing multiple sighting laps instead of a single slow‑down lap. Riders can get proper shakedown runs in under race conditions before the lights go out.
- MotoGP Grand Prix — the main event, starting from the grid set in Saturday’s GP Q1 and Q2.
What Changes — and What Stays the Same
| Sprint grid | Derived from combined Friday times | Decided by dedicated Sprint Qualifying |
| GP grid | Derived from Saturday Q1/Q2 | Decided by Saturday Q1/Q2 — unchanged |
| FP2 role | Timed, contributed to qualifying | Untimed, practice only |
| Sunday morning | MotoGP Warm Up | 10‑minute pitlane opening / multiple sighting laps |
| Moto2/Moto3 Sunday order | Mixed in with MotoGP | Run before MotoGP — clearer, dedicated slots |
| Points system | Sprint + GP points unchanged | Points scoring remains identical |
Why the Change — Balancing Spectacle and Fairness
The new format has been designed with three clear goals:
- More drama across the whole weekend: Sprint qualifying is now a standalone event, meaning Friday carries real championship stakes rather than just practice runs.
- Fairer track time distribution: Riders and teams get well‑balanced sessions without one single practice dictating two different grids.
- Clearer narrative for fans: Two distinct showdowns — one on Saturday, one on Sunday — with separate qualifying battles and separate stories.
As the championship enters its final decisive phase in 2026, fans are witnessing history in the making on track — and now they can look forward to an all‑new chapter beginning next season.
